Isolation and Identification of Bacteria Responsible for the Spoilage of Fluted Pumpkin (Telfaria occidentalis) and Bitter Leaf (Vernonia amygdalina) in Sokoto Metropolis

Abstract

The research was conducted in 2016 at the Microbiology Laboratory in the Department of Microbiology in Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto. The main objective was to isolate and identify those bacteria responsible for the spoilage of bitter leaf (Vernonia amygdalina) and fluted pumpkin (Telfairia occidentalis). This approach presented extracting these bacteria form the vegetables and then culture then on agar plates, colonies were formed and subcultures on different plates, pure cultures were obtained and cultured in slant bottles containing nutrient agar for identification through biochemical test bacterial utilization of substrates which include Triple sugar ion, Methyl red and Vogues prosturer test, starch hydrolysis, Indole, citrate, catalase, urease test and recorded. Gram stain was carried out to identify the gram reaction and viewed under microscope for cell morphology. Bacteria species of the stock culture were identified using Atlas Book of Bacteria using the biochemical test results and gram stain reactions, the bacteria isolated were identified as gram negative rod bacteria. Percentage distribution of occurrence showed that E. coli had had the highest frequency of occurrence with percentage distribution of 42.8% in bitter leaf, followed by Proteus mirabilis, and B. cereus both having 28.6% respectively. Proteus mirabilis had 50% in fluted pumpkin, Klebsiella 33.3%, E. coli 16.7%. From the result, it was concluded that E. coli and Proteus had the highest occurrence of bacterial contamination of spoilt bitter leaf and fluted pumpkin sold in Sokoto metropolis and recommended sensitization proper hygienic measure during post-harvest handling of these vegetables. KEYWORDS: Isolation, Identification, Bacteria, Vegetables, Food Spoilage, Hygiene